It has been announced that Wojciech Bońkowski MW is this year’s winner of the Madame Bollinger Foundation Medal at the Institute of Masters of Wine annual awards ceremony. The Medal is awarded for excellence in tasting and outstanding achievement in the Institute of Masters of Wine practical exams.

On Behalf of Etienne Bizot (CEO of Groupe Bollinger), Justin awarded Wojciech with his prize on Tuesday 31st October at Vintners’ Hall in London.

This year marks the 35th occasion that the Madame Bollinger Medal has been presented since its inauguration in 1988. It’s a prize aiming to foster quality, education and ethics in all matters relating to wine at an international level.

Wojciech is a wine writer and is the first and only Master of Wine to be based in Poland. He is active internationally as a wine market consultant and judge, notably at Decanter World Wine Awards and 50 Great Greek Wines. Amongst many other accolades he has obtained an MA in Italian literature and PhD in musicology from the University of Warsaw with a dissertation on Chopin’s editions published in Polish and English (2006), as well as publishing his own book. What a talented man and a worthy winner!

He will soon be invited with his family for a private visit to be presented the medal itself by Etienne Bizot, at the House of Champagne Bollinger in Aÿ.